Valve structure manipulatable for controlling delivery of fluid at selective pressures



w c. w. MOTT ,4

VALVE STRUCTURE MANIPULATABLE FOR CONTROLLING DELIVERY OF FLUID AT SELECTIVE PRESSURES Filed Dec. 31, 1943 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 fizverzzzor CarZ 20. mi?

Patented Aug. 2, 1949 VALVE STRUlCTURE CQNTROLLING DE Carl W. Mott, La Gran national Harvester C New Jersey MANIPULATABLE FOR LIVERY F FLUID AT SELECTIVE PRESSURES ge, 11L, assignor to Interompany, a corporation of Application December 31, 1943, Serial No. 516,467

4 @laims.

This invention has to do with a manually operable control system for a hydraulic brake and relates more particularly to such a control system, including a valve structure which functions to cause application of fluid pressure from a source of pressure fluid into a brake applying motor with an actuating force correlated in magnitude with the degree of advancement of a manually manipulated control member.

I am fully aware that the prior art discloses arrangements in which a manually advanceable valve control member regulates the application of pressure fluid from a source of such fluid in its application of pressure into a brake applying motor, causing that motor to apply the brake with a force constituting a function of the control member advancement. One form of such a prior art device is disclosed in a brochure entitled Maintenance Manual, published by the Bendix- Westinghouse Automotive Air Brake Company of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and having an identification insignia B-W 1027 M 1-38 and a. copyright notice for the year 1938. l

The disclosure in said brochure, which is most closely related to the present invention appears in Figure 64 on page 33. The disclosure in said Figure 64 has to do with an air brake control valve including a valve control member advanceable by a foot pedal for causing the application of compressed air pressure to brake chambers from a I, fluid pressure reservoir in accordance with the degree of advancement of said valve control memher. Said valve arrangement is designed to contain a double valve arrangement, necessarily critical in adjustment, for terminating connection between the reservoir and the brake chamber while preventing communication between said brake chamber and an exhaust port for maintaining, in the brake chamber, the pressure incurredin proportion to advancement of the valve control memher. i

An object of the present invention is the provision of an improved control valve structure operable to cause a selectively variable fluid pressure to be applied to a brake chamber or motor while permitting regulated circulation of the fluid through the valve structure, between outlet and inlet sections of the pressure fluid source, and said valve structure including means operable upon retraction of its valve control member to condition the pressure fiid source so that it bypasses fluid at low pressure from a constantly driven pump contained therein. By this arrangement, the present valve structure is adapted to be made with an extreme simplicity and design, and to contain rugged parts of which the tolerance and the dimensions in their adjustment are not greatly critical.

The above and other desirable objects, more specific in nature, encompassed by and inherent in the invention, will become more readily apparent upon reading the ensuing description with reference to the annexed drawings wherein:

Figure 1 is a View, partly diagrammatic, illustrating a braking system constructed according to the principles of this invention and showing the improved valve structure in side elevation attached to the underside of one of the floor boards in a conventional driver's compartment of a passenger motor car;

Figure 2 is a sectional view taken upon a plane extending axially through the valve structure (shown in Figure 1), and

'Figure 3 is a View similar to Figure 1,'but illustrating a system operating upon a modified principle and showing a modified valve structure in longitudinal section.

With continued reference to the drawings, and particularly to Figures 1 and 2, a preferred form of the invention is there illustrated in a motor vehicle installation for supplying the brake actuating fluid to the motor or brake chamber ll of a diagrammatically represented brake I 2, the brake consisting of a pair of curved brake elements l3 and M pivoted to fixed pivoted members I5 and i6, and pressable into frictional engagement with the periphery of a brake drum ll upon the energization of the motor I l for applying opposite outward force to lugs l8 and I9 at the upper ends of the brake elements. Movable piston members (not shown) are within the motor H and when fluid under pressure is introduced into the motor through a conduit 2| into the space between said piston members (not shown), extensions 22 and 23 upon the outer ends of said pistons will be moved oppositely outwardly for applyin the aforesaid force to the lugs I8 and I9.

Fluid under pressure for selective application to th brake motor II, through the conduit 2|, is derived from a source 24 diagrammatically il- .from which it is drawn lustrated within the dotted line field in the lower left hand portion of Figure 1. Said source 24 and the delivery of fluid therefrom is controlled by a valve structure 25 of which the casing 26 is secured to the underside of a vehicle drivers cOl'npartment floor-board 21 by'means of fastening devices 28 inserted through brackets 29 formed integrally with the casing. Regulation of the valve structure is accomplished by axial movement of a control member 3| thereof, which extends upwardlythrough the floor-board 21 where it presents an antiiriction roller 32 in contiguity with a foot pedal 33 having ator of the vehicle, pivotally mounted at 35 upon a bracket 36 secured to a floor-board 2i. i

The pressure fluid source 24, while shown diagrammatically in Figure 1, is fully disclosed and claimed in my copending application Serial No. 486,656, now Patent No. 2,420,554. Briefly, the

apparatus in source 24 includes a constant delivery pump 31 driven from some constantly rotating part of the vehicle engine. During the nor mal low pressure operation of the apparatus 24, fluid is taken into the pump 31 for a reservoir 38 through a conduit 39, a channel (not shown) in the casing of a pressure regulating device 4| and a conduit 42. This fluid is discharged from the pump through a conduit 43 into the pressure regulating device casing and passes a by-pass valve (not shown) from which the fluid emerges through a conduit 44 for delivery back to the reservoir 38. During this by-pass operation of the apparatus 24, the valve structure 25 serves to prevent the escape of fluid from the pressure regulating device 4| through a delivery conduit 45, whereby the device 4|, for reasons fully explained in said Patent No. 2,420,554, is caused to operate in the by-pass condition in which the pump 31 circulates the fluid to and from the reservoir at low pressure. Upon manipulation of the valve stem 3|, however, for conditioning the valve structure 25 for permitting the discharge of fluid through the delivery conduit 45, as will be presently explained, a drop in fluid pressure within a section (not shown) of the pressure regulating device 4| will occur, terminating the by-pass condition and causing fluid delivered into the device 4| from the pump through the conduit 43 to be discharged at high pressure through the delivery conduit 45. The apparatus 24 operates virtually instantaneously in conversion from the low pressure by-pass condition to the high pressure fluid delivery condition, subsequent to the initial drop in fluid pressure incurred 'in the deliveryconduit 44 by the manipulation of a valve control member 3|.

Referring now to the valve casing 24, and more I particularly to Figure 2 where the interior of such casing is visible, a chamber 4| therein is com-' prised of an inlet chamber portion 52 and an exhaust chamber portion 43. A connecting passage 44 between these chamber portions is in the form of a valve seat. The port 55 for the inlet chamber 42 contains a spider 44 which serves as a reaction member for a spring 41 which presses against a ball 44 for normally maintaining the latter against a valve seat 54 to preclude connection between the inlet port and the inlet chamber. The conduit 44 (Figure 1) is connected between the inlet port 54 and a fluid delivery port 4| the pressure regulating device 4|. Also connecting with the valve inlet chamber portion 42 is a brake port 42 which (as shown in Figure 1) is connected by the brake conduit 2| with the fluid actuated motor ll of the brake.

a heel rest 34 for the oper- I The right end of the exhaust chamber 53 contains an opening 63 for the valve operating member or stem 3| for axial movement therein. The left end of the valve stem 3| projects into the inlet chamber portion 52 where it is provided with an enlargement 64 which serves as a stop for a valve member 65, which is axially slidable upon the member ti and which is normally held against the stop 64 by a spring 66 which reacts against a collar 10 which. is held against movement to the right on member 3! by a snap ring 61. A spacer collar 65, adjacently to the snap ring Bl, is abuttable against a sealing member 69 for limiting endwise movement of the operating member ii to the right by a spring H which reacts against the casing, and a washer I2 which is constrained against endwise movement on the member 3| by a snap ring 13.

A fluid return port 14 communicates with the exhaust chamber 53 and is connected by a fluid return conduit 75 with the reservoir'38 of the fluid source 24.

Operation of the system shown in Figures 1 and 2 With the parts in the positions illustrated in Figures 1 and 2, the brake motor ii is deenergized, that is, not subjected to fluid pressure, and the brake i2 is released. Since the valve ball 58 is against its seat 59, fluid cannot escape through the delivery port 5| of the pressure regulating device 4| ior delivery through theconduit 45. As a consequence, the constant delivery pump 3'! simply circulates the fluid at low pressure through the conduit 43, into the pressure regulating device 4|, outwardly of the device through conduit 44 into the reservoir 35, from the reservoir through conduit 39 into a section of the device 4| and thence to the pump through conduit 42. This condition will prevail so, long as the valve 58-59 is closed.

When it is desired to cause engagement of the brake i2, the operator will depress the brake pedal 33, thereby axially advancing the brake operating member 3| and projecting the left end of this member (shown in Figure 2) against the ball 58 for opening the valve 54-59. This advancement oi the control member 3| is opposed by the spring II and subsequent to the abutment of the valve member 44 with its seat 54, advancement of such member 3| is also opposed by the spring 44. Pursuant to the opening of the valve 44-54, fluid will escape from the pressure regulator port 4| through the conduit'45, valve port 54 in the chamber 52, brake port 42 and brake conduit 2| into the brake motor The fluid initially issuing from the port 4| of the pressure regulating device 4| flows from a reservoir (not shown) in said device where the fluid is stored at high pressure.

Upon enough fluid issuing through the port 4| for predeterminedly depleting the fluid in such reservoir in the device 4| and incurring a corresponding predetermined drop in pressure, the device 4| operates automatically for terminating the bypass condition and Tor causing the pump 31 to force fluid directly into the reservoir at high pressure. Therefore, so long as the fluldis withdrawn from the device 4| through the delivery port 4|,

pedal 33, or the advancement of the control member 3|, so that the force with which the motor ll causes the brake i2 to be engaged will be according to the amount of depression of the brake operating pedal, according to conventional practice.

While valve 53-59 is maintained in the opened condition by the valve stem 3|, the force with which the valve member 65 is urged into engagement with the seat 54 will be a function of the amount that the sprin 66 is compressed. When the valve stem 3i is advanced far enough to slightly unseat the ball 58 for causing the introduction of fluid into the inlet chamber 52, the spring 66 will be compressed but slightly in addition to its preloading compressed condition between the members 55 and 10, so that fluid within the inlet chamber 52 can escape into the exhaust chamber 53 over the valve seat 54 by slightly displacing the valve member 65 to the right. The pressure within the inlet chamber 52 and, therefore, in the conduit 2| and in the brake motor II will correspond to the pressure required in the chamber 52 for compressing the spring 66 incident to moving the valve member 65 far enough to permit lay-pass into the exhaust chamber 53 of the fluid received at a constant rate from the source 2%, into said chamber 52 past the valve 5t 59. When the brake pedal 33 is depressed only a slight distance, the spring 66 will be compressed a relatively slight amount by the movement of the collar it to the left, and consequently, the pressure attainable in the inlet chamber portion 52, controlled by the by-pass over the valve seat 56. will be slight. The pressure with which the brake i2 is engaged will be correspondingly slight. When it is desired to increase the force with which the brake i2 is applied, the operator will depress the brake pedal 33 a greater distance, whereby the collar it) is advanced farther to the ieft to increase the force with which spring 65 urges the valve member 55 seated and correspondingly increases the pressure required in the chamber portion 52 for causing the excess fluid to escape over the valve seat 54. The pressure applied to the brake motor and the force with which the brake i2 is applied is correspondingly increased. Meanwhile, the fluid escaping into the exhaust chamber portion 53 is discharged through the exhaust port it, through the conduit 15 to the reservoir 38 for recirculation in the system.

If, after depressing the brake pedal 33 a distance which causes the brake [2 to be engaged v with a comparatively great force, it should be desired to apply the brake with less force, this is I accomplished conventionally by releasing the brake pedal 33 a desired amount so that the spring ill can-retract said brake pedal and the valve control member 3!, (this retraction also being aided by the spring 56) whereby the spring 55 permits the valve member 65 to be unseated the pedal 33 is released. Complete release oi. the pedal 33 also permits the valve ball 58 to seat and terminate the discharge of fluid from the pressure regulating device 4|, through its delivery port 6|, whereby the high pressure condition within the reservoir in the device 4| is reestablished for again incurring the by-pass condition of the fluid source apparatus 24.

Fi ure 3 embodiment The hydraulic brake control system, shown in Figure 3, while differing somewhat from that shown in Figures 1 and 2, employs many parts which are identical with or correspond to parts in the embodiment in Figures 1 and 2, and these parts to expedite the disclosure are designated by the same reference characters with the addition of a prime exponent. A first difierence of this second embodiment is in the source of pressure fluid. This source, 24', of the pressure fluid employs a constant delivery pump 31' and a reservoir 38', together with a modified form of a pressure regulating device ll of which the structural details and arrangement are clearly set forth in said Patent No. 2,420,554. Said pressure regulating device M, excepting when fluid can escape therefrom through port X and a control conduit BI. is operable to by-pass the fluid received from the pump 31' at low pressure. During low pressure by-pass, the fluid from the pump enters the pressure regulating device through a conduit 82 and after passing through a by-pass sufficiently for allowing the excess fluid to escape from the chamber inlet portion 52 at a lower pressure.

When it is desired that the brake should be completely released, the brake pedal 33 will be released by the operator so that the spring H becomes effective for returning the valve member to the position shown in Figure 2, whereby there is a connection of the brake motor II with the low pressure reservoir 38, through the conduit 2 l, brake port 62, inlet chamber portion 52, valve seat passage 54, chamber portion 53, fluid return port it, and the fluid return conduit 15. The brake will be completely released, therefore, when valve (not shown) in the device M, the fluid emerges at low pressure through a conduit 83 from which it is discharged into the reservoir 38 preparatory to delivery to the pump through a conduit 84. Fluid entering the pressure regulatin device 4|, through a conduit i5, passes directly through the device to the conduit 83 for delivery to the reservoir. During high pressure operation of the apparatus 2t, upon the termination of the by-pass condition through the pressure regulating device M, fluid is delivered through a port Y and a delivery conduit 35' at at high pressure.

An auxiliary control valve is provided in the valve casing 26' for controlling the discharge of fluid through the control conduit 8|, and thereby remotely controlling the pressure regulating device 3! so that it can be caused to deliver fluid through the conduit 35' at high pressure when the auxiliary control valve permits the escape through the conduit 8!, and for terminatin such delivery of fluid at high pressure through the conduit 45 when the auxiliary control valve terminates the discharge of fluid through the control conduit 8|.

Such auxiliary control valve in the valve casing 26' includes a ball 86, normally held against a seat 87 by a spring 88. This valve 86-81 is disposed within a control inlet port 89 formed in a section 9| of the casing 26', which is screw threaded at 92 to a section 93 of said casing. A channel 94 on the right side, or delivery side, of the valve 86-81 communicates with a channel 95 in the casing portion 93 and thence with the exhaust chamber 53'. The valve ball 86 is adapted to be unseated by the projection to the left of a pin 96, carried by an arm 91 which is fixed upon the valve stem 3|. The left end of the valve stem is abuttable against the valve ball 58' for controlling the valve 58'59 in the manner hereirsiabgve described with respect to the valve 5 9.

Operation of the Figure 3 embodiment In Figure 3, the valve stem 3i is shown in its retracted position, that is, in its rightmost position wherein the valves 86-81 and 58'-59' are closed and valve 54'-65' is held open so that the brake motor is connected to the low pressure zone within the exhaust chamber portion 53' through the brake port 62' in the chamber portion 52', and said valve fl'-'55. Upon movement of the valve stem 3i to the left for causing engagement of the brake, the valve operating pin 96 will first engage the ball 86 for opening the valve 86-81, thus permitting the escape of fluid from the control device 4! through the conduit 8i, past said valve 86-81 and through the channel portions 94' and 95 into the exhaust chamber portion 53'. When this occurs, the pressure regulating device M becomes effective for delivering fluid. The entire output of the pump 31' is then introduced into the device 4 I at high pressure, there being a pressure relief valve (not shown) in the device 4| for permitting escape of fiuidamder high pressure from the pump into the conduit 83' when such-fluid cannot pass through the conduit and the valve SW-59 at all or only at a slow rate because of such valve being closed or only partly op'en. Imposition of pressure upon the brake motor ll does not occur until the valve stem 3| has been advanced to the left far enough for opening the valve 5B'-59',

although this valve is opened almost simultaneously with the control valve 86-81. Subsequent to the opening of the valve 58-'-59', the pressure within the chamber portion 52', and hence in the conduit 2| leading to the brake, is controlled by the degree of advancement of the stem 3| and the correlated pressure of the spring 86' in a manner identical with that above described in the operation of the first embodiment. When the brake is to be released, the retraction of the valve stem 3| for accomplishing this effect will result in the valves 58'-59' and 86-81 being closed, and the closure of the latter valve in terminating escape of fluid through the control con-- duit 8| will reestablish the low pressureby-passcondition in the actuating fluid source 24'.

Having thus described two embodiments of the invention with the view of clearly disclosing the principles thereof, I claim:

1.- In a valve structure for use in a hydraulic brake motor control system including a pressure-' responsive fluid source operable to supply fluid under pressure from a delivery port thereof when fluid is withdrawn from a control port thereof and also operable to by-pass the fluid from the delivery port at low pressure into an inlet section of such source upon cessation of said withdrawal: the combination of a casing containing.

a chamber having inlet and exhaust portions with a connecting passage therebetween. an inlet port communicative with the chamber inlet portion and for communicative connection with'the" dclivery port of said source, an inlet control .port

communicative with the exhaust chamber 'portion and for communicative connection with the control port of said source, a brake port communicative with the inlet chamber portion and for communicative connection with said brake motor to apply operating pressure thereto by means of a fluid column in such connection, and a fluid return port in the exhaust chamber portion for communicative connection with the fluid source inlet section; a normally closed control valve disposed between said control port and the exhaust chamber portion to control communication therewith; a pressure regulating valve in said connecting passag and operable to oppose the flow of fluid from the inlet'chamber portion 5 into the exhaust chamber portion in accordance with a regulating pressure applied to said valve; a valve control member advanceable to open said control valve and to maintain the same open while so advanced; and pressure applying means operated bysuch control member to apply said regulating pressure to the regulating valve in a magnitude increasing as a function of the control member advancement.

2. The combination set forth in claim 1, where- 5 in there is also an inlet valve disposed between said inlet port and the inlet chamber portion to control communication therebetween, and such inlet valve being subjected to said valve control member to be opened thereby pursuant to said advancement of said control member.

3. In a valve structure for imposing pressure fluid from a source thereof into a fluid-driven motor for actuating the same; a valve casing containing inlet and exhaust chamber portions having a pressure-relief channel communicating therebetween, a fluid inlet channel for receiving pressure fluid from said source, said inlet channel being communicative with the inlet chamber portion and being disposed oppositely therein from and in coaxial relation with said pressurerelief channel, and a motor port communicative with said inlet chamber portion; inlet valve means in said inlet channel comprising a valve seat facing generally oppositely from the inlet chamber portion and a valve member normally upon said seat to preclude communication through said channel of the source with said inlet chamber portion but said valve member being unseatable to establish such communication; a pressurerelief valve comprising a seat clrcumscribing said pressure-relief channel and facing generally toward the exhaust chamber portion and a valve member removably seatable upon said seat; a valve stem extending through said chamber por- 45 tions, said pressure-relief channel and said pressure-relief valve member; a stop on said valve stem between the pressure-relief valve member and the inlet chamber portion; a spring reaction member on said valve stem in the exhaust chamher portion and in spaced axial relation to the pressure-relief valve member; a spring disposed 1 about said valve stem between said reaction membar and the pressure-relief valve member. urging the latter toward said stop; and spring means urging said valv e'stem in an axially retroactive direction for causing-said stop to withdraw the pressure-relief valve member from its seat; and said valve stem being axially advanceable for compressing the spring thereabout to press said pressure-relief valve member toward its seat and abuttable against the inlet-valve member for displacing the same from its seat.

- 4. In. a valve structure; a casing containing inlet and exhaust chamber portions, a pressure- 65.relief channel extending communicatively between sald chamber portions, a fluid inlet channel communicative with the inlet chamber portion and being disposed therein oppositely to said pressure-relief channel and parallel therewith, a

control fluid channel communicative with said exhaust chamber portion and being disposed oppositely of the inlet chamber portion from the pressure-relief channel and parallel therewith, and a motor port communicative with said inlet chamber portion; inlet valve means in said inlet 9 channel comprising a valve seat facing generally oppositely from the inlet chamber portion and a valve member normally upon said seat to preclude communication inwardly through such channel into said inlet chamber portion; control valve means in said control channel comprising a valve seat facing generally oppositely from the inlet chamber portion and a control valve member normally upon such seat to preclude communication inwardly through such channel into the exhaust chamber portion; a pressure-relief valve comprising a seat circumscribing said pressurerelief channel and facing generally toward the exhaust chamber portion and a valve member removably seatable upon said seat; a valve stem extending through said chamber portions, said pressure-relief channel and said pressure-relief valve member; a stop on said valve stem between the pressure-relief valve member and the inlet chamber portion; a spring reaction member on said valve stem in the exhaust chamber portion and in spaced axial relation to the pressure-relief valve mefnber; a spring disposed about said valve stem between said reaction member and the pressure-relief valve member urging the latter tovalve means.

CARL W. MO'I'I.

REFERENCES CITED The following referenices are of record in the tile of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,685,221 Pearson July 12, 1927 2,281,138 Christensen Apr. 28, 1942 2,317,846 Campbell Apr. 2'7, 1943 2,392,421 Stephens Jan. 8, 1946 2,392,422 Stephens -1 Jan. 8, 1946 2,404,529 Reichelt July 23, 1946 

